Chapter Text
Jimin was behind schedule. So astronomically behind that he was running, which; running resulted in sweating and panting and all sorts of gross stuff that Jimin hated but alas, he couldn’t afford to move any slower. He skirted past a gaggle of teenagers strolling leisurely down the sidewalk, not minding that they were blocking the pathway for people that had to be somewhere. People like him. A glance down at his wrist watch had him picking up speed. 7:25pm already? And here he was thinking he’d timed his departure from the university grounds perfectly. He was done for.
loml;
where r u???????!!!
im abt 2 kms (7: 27pm)
Jimin was reading the texts on his smartwatch like an absolute lunatic and he nearly stumbled into a signpost when he pulled out his phone to send an ‘ almost there’ . He panted breathlessly at the unusual speed that he was moving and the sensation of perspiration dripping down his back made him wince. It was smack dab in the middle of autumn but he couldn’t feel any of the coldness that was currently enveloping the city.
As he made a left turn, a familiar signpost came into view and his spirits rose as he neared his first stop. Dead orange leaves crunched under his Chelsea boots as they tap- tap- tapped onto the tarmacked sidewalk and soon he’d reached the place. The words “Indigo flowers” were artfully drawn onto an ovular signpost with a fitting blue coloured background and metallic silver detailing on the border. Under the words was an arrow pointed to the shop itself at the tail end of the building. Jimin paused at the steps that led up to the similarly branded blue and silver door in an attempt to catch his breath. One, two, three… he breathed methodically, straightening up. He was really out of shape.
“You’re most welcome to Indigo fl- oh Jimin it’s you!” The florist exclaimed from behind the counter. Kim Namjoon was all long legs, wide chest and a beautiful brain filled with all sorts of interesting facts about stuff in general. His brown hair fluttered slightly at the breeze Jimin let in through the door as he walked in and he smiled sweetly in greeting, “Long time no see.”
Jimin and Namjoon were acquainted. It was one of those situations where he was a friend of a friend of a friend or, more specifically; the best friend to the brother of Jimin’s husband. They’d gotten to know each other a little bit better the longer Jimin has been in Seoul but Namjoon was pretty shy, always sticking himself in a corner during hangouts. Jimin liked to imagine someday that they’d be good friends… some day when Namjoon got used to being around him.
Namjoon walked around the counter covered with potted flowers and dirt and Jimin didn’t hesitate, giving him a light hug making the older boy chuckle in surprise but he didn’t deflect it, which Jimin took as a win. The pleasant familiar smell of lavender and clean laundry enveloped Jimin, settling something within him. Namjoon smelled just like his shop, floral and clean in a comforting way that always had Jimin wanting to spend more time in here…if only he had the time.
“I'm running late, hyung.” Jimin said as he took a step back. He reminded himself of what he’d come to get, “Is it ready?”
“What? Oh yeah. Yeah, let me get it.” Namjoon nodded, stepping past him, “Is it really the last Friday of the month already?” He frowned, glancing at the small calendar he kept on at the edge of the counter.
“No- no it’s not.” Jimin shook his head, “I have an important paper next Friday so we pulled it forward just this once.” Namjoon let out a small ah in understanding. He congratulated Jimin on his luck because he had just the perfect bouquet already set up for him. Jimin checked his watch again and he smiled regretfully. “ The performance is about to start hyung..and I don’t wanna miss it.”
“We wouldn’t want that, obviously ” Namjoon’s voice was bright, good natured. Behind Jimin was the display and he turned to observe as Namjoon scanned the various bouquets. They were placed onto pristine white shelves that really let the vibrant colours of the flowers shine. Namjoon picked up the one he needed, a medium sized bouquet made of white camellias and baby breath, with black ribboning wrapped around it. He handed it over to Jimin.
“Thank you so much. It’s gorgeous as usual.” He said, admiring the arrangement. Namjoon smiled in appreciation. He tapped his back pockets absentmindedly in search for his wallet, “ Uh- I think I’ll use my card today coz I-”
“Oh don’t worry about it.” Namjoon waved him away, “ Seokjin-hyung already paid for it.”
Jimin blinked at him, “What?”
“Seokjin?” Namjoon repeated himself, chuckling at the look of Jimin’s face, “He was here for lunch today.” He explained, stuffing his hands in his pockets, “ Said maybe it’d tempt you to pass by the restaurant tomorrow.”
Jimin shook his head, laughter slipping through his lips, “ Hyung is ridiculous. I was there this morning but okay.” He shrugged, waving Namjoon goodbye,“ Guess I’ll pass by in the evening after school.” His phone beeped with text alerts. “Alright, thanks hyung. I’ll see you around byee…..” He walked back out into the street.
loml;
texting from beyond the grave rn
how could u forsake me at this, my last hour
You:
I’m sorryyyyyy
Literally just across the street, I swear.
In Jimin’s defense he was just across the street. He’d just taken a detour that had taken longer than he’d expected. Taehyung performed in different bars and restaurants all the time across the city and Jimin couldn't attend all the time because he was still in school and some of them happened during weekdays. But last Fridays of the month were off limits. No study groups, no extra curricular activities. It was sacred time and sometimes, in particularly hectic months it was the only thing Jimin could look forward to . He wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Tonight the venue was Jimin's favorite club, Swan. Swan had been one of the very first clubs to give his Taehyung a platform when he was starting out and for that it’d earned a special place in both their hearts. It was located on the basement floor of a skyscraper opposite Namjoon's shop which was convenient for him given today's circumstances. After he crossed the road safely, or rather; after he jaywalked as quickly as he could, ignoring the loud honks from cars he got in the way of in his haste, Jimin found himself at the entrance to the lobby to Swan Hotels where he was cordially greeted by the doorman who was familiar with him. He went straight for the elevator at the end of a dimly lit hallway off to the side of the grand foyer and didn't even flinch when it jerked clunkily to life before it went into a stilted descent towards the basement floor of the building. The elevator door opened with a ding and he walked into the dim but elegant strobing lights of Swan.
He’d just entered through what was considered the backstage entrance and it was reserved for staff and service providers who operated in the larger hotel building above. The real, flashier entrance to the club was on the other side of the building, where the street was lower and led directly to the basement level but Jimin had special access, at least for today.
The elevator opened into a short corridor that he walked through leading him to behind the bartender's counter.
“You're late.” Jeon Jungkook greeted him with a side-eye.
“ I got caught up.” He threw back in retort, jabbing a finger into the young bartender’s side. Jeongukk was in the middle of making a drink for a customer and he threw a side-ways kick at Jimin for almost making him spill.
“Is Yoongi-hyung coming today?” Jimin asked, curiously looking around for any sign of mint-coloured hair among the heads seated on the barstools.
“Yeah he is.”Jeongukk handed the customer their drink, finally turning to Jimin, “he’s also running late I think- said he wanted to watch Taehyung perform before we go to eat but..it seems he’s gonna miss it.” He looked over Jimin’s shoulder. “Cause he's up next.”
Jimin spinned around to see what Jeongukk was seeing. Over on the other side of the bar they’d set up a make-shift stage and Jimin saw a familiar figure standing just behind it, half hidden by the shadows.
He left Jeongukk to continue working and shuffled quickly to the smattering of tables that had people seated on them who were watching and listening intently as a young lady finished her amazing rock rendition of a Lorde song that Jimin vaguely knew. Jimin found a seat towards the front and plopped into it, letting the bouquet rest between his thighs. He clapped politely when the lady performer finished her song and the club host cheered into his microphone after she stepped off stage. His Taehyung was definetly way better. After the club host had cracked a few jokes that had the audience whooping he finally announced the next performer.
“.....please welcome our amazing regular here at Swan, Kim Taehyung.”
Jimin clapped along with the rest of the crowd who were just as enthusiastic as him as the man himself stepped out of the shadows. Taehyung walked onto the stage with a small but self assured smile, his trusty guitar strapped around his neck. His gait was smooth and suave as he ambled up to the podium. To the unfamiliar eye he was the picture of calm and collectedness but even from where Jimin was seated he could see the clench in his jaw that betrayed his underlying nerves.
Jimin clapped obnoxiously louder as the rest of the audience’s applause tapered out. He let out a loud whooping cheer that he knew was embarrassing and Taehyung’s eyes immediately darted over to where he was seated. They locked eyes and Jimin watched with butterflies in his stomach as Taehyung’s entire face brightened. The smirk on his face broke into the boyish grin that Jimin knew and loved and when Jimin gave him a thumbs up, he nodded and turned to face the audience.
“Good evening everyone.” His voice was deep but serene, “ My name's Taehyung and I'd like to share a few songs with you tonight.” He lightly strummed his guitar, “I hope you enjoy. Let us begin….”
Taehyung had first started singing at Swan back in the previous year when he was still in university with Jimin. It had only been a fun, silly thing at first. Like karaoke, except I sing original songs too. But that was only at the start. One open-mike night turned into another one in a different part of town through recommendation which turned into more clubs and soon day-time restaurants that morphed into literal paid gigs. Taehyung had found for himself a way to potentially enter into the type of career he'd always thought was just a pipe-dream. Singing and performing was way more interesting and more Taehyung than the accounting degree that he’d been half-heartedly pursuing before his first performance at Swan . Still, he had diligently waited until after he had satisfied his brother by getting a ‘proper’ education before he really went full throttle. Nowadays there wasn’t an event he hadn’t performed at...weddings, charity galas and business conferences alike. If there was a microphone anywhere in Seoul, he’d probably already belted into it at some point or he’d get to it in the future……
His first two songs were sung perfectly, even though he had told Jimin about a high note in the second song that he’d been having trouble with. By the end of the second song everyone was vibing, nodding along with the tune and Jimin couldn’t help but look around at the crowd proudly as though it was him on the stage.
Taehyung paused to hydrate after he wrapped up the second song. He took a hefty sip of water from a bottle that had been placed for him at the foot of the stage and then he straightened up and went back to the microphone. His eyes wandered through the crowd and immediately found Jimin’s, the corners of his mouth settling into a smile that bore a hint of mischief.
“This next and final song is dedicated to that individual over there,” he told the audience, throwing something into the crowd. Jimin was smacked square in the face with it and he scowled at the object as it bounced onto his lap. It was a balled up bandana, red with white polka dots, one of Taehyung's favorites.
He looked back up as Taehyung continued to speak, “That right there is my annoying soulmate/husband,” Various people turned to glance at Jimin as Taehyung spoke but Jimin's eyes stayed focused on Taehyung only, “ It's exactly six days to the day we got married three years ago and-I know you don’t like to be put in the spotlight like this babe but…just wanted to wish you yet another happy anniversary in advance. I love you Jimin, this one's for you.”
A couple of girls seated on the table across from Jimin awwed very loudly as Taehyung readjusted his guitar and started to strum. Jimin's whole face was burning, he averted his eyes from the intensely curious gaze of the people seated nearby him and decided it was best to look down at the bouquet in his lap instead. He tried but ultimately failed to fight off the smile that attacked his face as the size of his heart grew in his chest. The song Taehyung was singing was one of Jimin's favorites among his original works and he hummed along as Taehyung sang.
When he concluded his final song, Jimin was the first to stand up and clap loudly and then the rest of the room stood up in tow, their applause just as enthusiastic. He was just that good…the little fucker.
With everyone standing, Jimin’s petite self couldn’t make out Taehyung’s form back on the stage and so in a stroke of chaotic genius, he hoisted himself up and stepped onto the table, cheering loudly with the bouquet stuffed under his arms.
Taehyung bowed gracefully at the audience and with another vote of thanks, he hopped off the stage and into the crowd. Upbeat music started pulsating from the speakers indicating that the performances were done and it was time for the crowd to disperse into smaller circles and dance the night away. Jimin waited patiently as Taehyung packed his guitar back into his gig bag, watching him from his heightened point of view. When Taehyung was done, his eyes started scanning the crowd, immediately snagging on Jimin. He shook his head . Unbelievable…. Ji min could almost hear him say with the fond smile that reached up to his eyes. He started to make his way towards the table but he was immediately intercepted by the club host who seemed to have something important to tell him because Taehyung threw him a quick glanc e. One second…
"May I ask why you’re up there?” Jimin turned abruptly. Jeongukk was standing at the table, giving Jimin a look that suggested he looked crazy.
“No, you may not,” said Jimin. He sat down onto the table, ignoring Jeongukk’s complaints of getting his road germs on their furniture. “Where’s hyung?” He asked instead. Jeongukk kept glancing at his phone and Jimin didn’t have to look around the bar again to know his bestie wasn’t here yet.
“I don’t know.” Jeongukk sighed, stuffing his phone back into his pants, “My shift’s over in like five minutes. He just...there’s been no updates since you came…but he’ll be here…He said he would.” His mouth curved downward. Jimin nodded, deciding that any input from him was not necessary at this point. Out of everyone in Seoul, Jimin had known Yoongi the longest. They’d been friends since they were kids and they’d gone through the epic highs and lows of elementary, middle and high school together despite Yoongi being a grade above him. They’d lost their close connection for a while when Yoongi left Busan for a gap year to work in Seoul but after Jimin moved here too, Yoongi couldn’t escape him, no matter how he tried. And try he did.
Jimin liked to believe he knew Yoongi pretty well and something told him that tonight was not gonna end up how Jeongukk wanted it to…which was the sort of input that was not needed at the moment, right? Jeongukk was too sweet and pure for this world and Jimin wasn’t trying to be responsible for dimming his light.
Jeongukk walked away to get back to his station and Jimin made sure he was safely out of eyesight before he pulled out his phone.
To Yoonfi:
Where tf are you?!
Your roomie is here, sulking around.
You promised him you’d be here. (message read)
Answer me you coward!!
Or at least have the technological prowess to remove your ‘last seen’!!
“ What are you doing?” Jimin looked up from his phone screen, glancing over his shoulder. Taehyung was peeping over his shoulder trying to glance into his phone. He walked around the table and came to stand in front of him.
“Hey love,” Jimin grinned at him, all prior irritation at his phone evaporating, “What kept you so long…. business stuff?” He unfolded his legs and started to stand up before remembering that he was still on top of a table. Taehyung looked up at him, a lopsided smile gracing his lips in a way that showed he wasn't at all surprised by this behaviour.
“ Everyone was standing so I had to be unique and stand higher.” He defended himself, eliciting a chuckle from Taehyung. He readjusted his gig bag around his shoulder, a habit he subconsciously did even when it wasn’t drooping and Jimin remembered what he was holding in his own hands. “Here.” He shoved the bouquet of flowers in front of him.
Taehyung gently took them out of his hands ,“Thank you. They're beautiful.” He sniffed at them, inhaling the very mild fragrant scent of the camellia petals. He looked back up at Jimin, eyebrows raised “ Now can you please get down from there?”
“No, I quite like being taller than you. “ Jimin laughed over the sound of the steadily increasing music. He crouched down onto the table and put his right foot down on the chair he’d previously sat on. Before he could place the left one on the ground, Taehyung reached out and curled his arm around his waist, spinning him around in the air before placing him gently on the ground and Jimin, heart practically in his throat, instinctively wrapped his arms around his neck to steady himself.
“You were great up there.” Jimin told him, standing on his tiptoes so he could say it right into his ear. It had gotten pretty loud inside and he was on the precipice of yelling .
"I’m glad you liked it,” said Taehyung, pulling him closer, “ For a second there I’d thought you weren’t gonna make it in time.”
“Pfft…when have I ever missed a ‘last friday’ performance.” Jimin laughed at the notion, “ Never in my twenty-three years on earth.”
“We’ve only been doing this for six months.”
“Semantics! ” Jimin waved him off. Taehyung watched him for a moment, he raised his other hand, gently running his finger under Jimin’s chin in a fond gesture. And then he leaned forward and kissed him.
Kissing Taehyung, for Jimin, was like spinning the wheel on a bunch of random emotions haphazardly thrown together. Sometimes when their lips touched it was like liquid fire shot straight into Jimin’s system and he could barely contain himself. Other times it was like applying a soothing balm to burned, irritated skin, healing, like everything would eventually turn out fine. Today as Jimin lost himself in the feeling, he felt nothing but the cozy familiarity of it all. Taehyung’s arms around his waist, the press of their chests against each other, hearts beating in tandem with the beat of the bass. It was home.
“ You wanna get out of here?” Taehyung murmured against his lips. Jimin’s eyes tracked the movement of his lips, still in a daze but he nodded. “ Good. Cause I'm starving.”
They said goodbye to Jeongukk who was very enthusiastic about Taehyung's performance, despite looking considerably more miserable. After that, the couple finally left the now fully-packed bar using the real entrance this time. Jimin breathed in the cold crisp outside air and linked arms with Taehyung as they walked close together down the busy street.
“Where are we eating?” He asked as Taehyung led him down the street.
Taehyung shrugged, “ Wherever the wind blows us.”
“ Sooo..the ahjussi down the street ?”
“You know me so well.” Taehyung groaned relief flooding his voice, “ The whole time on stage, I could only think of his fried chicken.”
“Wo-o-ow,” Jimin rolled his eyes, grumbling, “and here I was thinking those wistful eyes during Slow Dancing were for me.”Taehyung let out a chortling laugh that went straight through Jimin’s heart and he couldn't help but laugh as well. Cars zoomed past them going in different directions and even though the sidewalk was kind of packed with people, the two of them still walked side by side, ignoring the side-eyes and glares when some tried to push their way past or walk in between them.
“I'm so tired, I could sleep right here on this table.” Jimin groaned. His head thumped awkwardly onto the plastic table and he closed his eyes for some temporary relief. They’d arrived at their favorite chicken shop that was just a few blocks from their apartment and were currently waiting for the kind old man who owned the place to bring their usual orders.
“Long day?” Taehyung asked, reaching across the small table to run his hand through Jimin's hair.
“Yeah… ‘ve got midterms starting on Monday so…” Taehyung’s fingers slowly carded through his hair in a relaxing pattern that wasn’t helping with his sleepy situation at all. The thought of his exams had him wanting to flay himself alive. “Why can't you just pretend to be me and do my exams.” He whined, voice muffled by the table.
Taehyung chuckled, “You’re on your own babe because me? In an institution of learning??’ he scoffed, “Never again. Frankly if I could have, I would have stopped after I’d learned to read and count.”
Jimin lifted up his head, eyes half closed, causing Taehyung’s hand to fall out of his hair, “You wouldn’t want to learn to write??!”
“I meann…as long as I can read and understand the stuff that already exists do I really need to know how to do it myself??”
“Oh, so you would rather be passive with art rather than actively engage with it?” Jimin narrowed his eyes in challenge, barely holding in his giggles at the affronted look on his husband’s face.
“There’s other forms of art besides writing that d-”
“You wanna be the consumer and never the creator? Woo-oo-w.” Jimin interrupted. He raised his hands in mock defeat, “ Capitalism’s changed you, my love.”
“It’s not about capitalism it’s a- Wait we were talking about your midterms! ” Taehyung laughed, playfully pushing Jimin’s elbow off the table, causing the smaller boy to squawk in indignation as he lost his balance. “You’re trying to distract me with your bullshitting skills but I wanna know about how the less privileged are going to spend their week .”
“The less privileged as in college students?”
“Less privileged as in Jimins who I’m guessing can’t go out for dinner on the day of our real anniversary?"
The ahjussi finally brought out their food and they wasted no time digging in. Jimin’s stomach grumbled at the sight of chicken and he remembered the breakfast bar he’d eaten in the morning that he was still subsisting on.
“When’s your last paper?” Taehyung asked after a periodic silence.
Jimin swallowed the food in his mouth, washing it down with some water, “The Thursday after next week…so a uhh-"He did the mental math. "-whole week after the real date.”
While Taehyung had chosen a simple straightforward three-year accounting course, Jimin had opted to study Law, a decision he questioned every waking day. He’d always had an admiration for the profession, even if it wasn't what he'd exactly had in mind at first. But the whole university experience left him drained and tired, especially now that Taehyung had graduated and left him all alone in the struggle of education. They could no longer commiserate over their shared hatred for assignments and annoying professors and the worst part was; Jimin wasn’t even nearly finished. After the fourth and final year he was currently in, he still had to spend another extra nine months preparing for the bar exam.
They switched the conversation to other things. Taehyung had a relatively much slower week coming up with only one performance at a birthday brunch on Tuesday. His ‘day’ job was working as a barista at his older brother Seokjin’s restaurant, a job Seokjin had practically begged him to take considering his singing gigs had been irregular in the early days. Working at Seokjin's restaurant didn’t affect his singing in any way because Seokjin let him pick up and drop shifts according to the schedule for the gigs Taehyung got. What good is nepotism for if not for things like this.
As they’d received their food, Taehyung had placed his phone in the middle of the table to make room for his plate and as their night slowly wound down, the device suddenly buzzed to life with a text. Jimin glanced down at it, his brain automatically skimming through the message that lit up the screen.
Hey man, just wondering if you changed your mind on L.A.
Taehyung immediately grabbed the phone from the table and into his lap, swiping the message away. Jimin paused his glass halfway to his mouth…..He’d seen the text. Taehyung had seen him scan over the text, so the rush to hide it kind of struck him as odd. Jimin hadn’t even meant to, though he wasn’t immune to being nosy but …. Taehyung avoided his gaze, focusing instead on the leftovers on his plate that seemed to have grown exponentially more interesting to him, which caused Jimin to then grow suspicious of the previously innocuous text.
“Okay-yy…? Weird vibe change or whatever .” Jimin spoke after a not quite comfortable silence sat thickly in their midst. Taehyung paused his fork midway to his mouth looking oddly like he’d been caught stealing candy from a child. He looked at Jimin for a brief moment before dropping his gaze down, but he still said nothing.
“What’s in L.A?” Jimin prompted. What could possibly be going on there that warranted a reaction like this.
“It's nothing…”said Taehyung, his eyes still downcast, “just… Chaemin and the band...they have this-uh this- american rock band that asked them to be their opening act for their tour…and they asked me if I wanted to uh- join them.”
Jimin froze in his seat,his eyes widening in shock, “What?”
Taehyung scratched the back of his head, “Yeah. Crazy, right? They want me to play piano for them… maybe sing lead for some shows.”
Jimin let out a hoot of laughter, barely believing what he was hearing, “ Taehyung- Oh my God,” Taehyung’s eyes drifted up to meet his, “Baby that is….that is fucking massive oh my fucking God, what? When? American rock ba- why didn’t you freaking tell me? Jesus Christ. L.A?? That is-” he let out a breath, calming himself down, “ Chaemin asked you?”
“Yeah. He’s the one texting.” Taehyung’s voice was still thin despite the absolute banging news he was sharing. Chaemin and his friends were part of an underground band called HangerXDR. Chaemin was the lead singer and he and Taehyung had become friends after they met at three different gigs where both had been hired. Taehyung sometimes joined the band, playing piano for them when they got hired for events that specifically required for there to be one because none of the main XDR members played the instrument. Though he liked to help out his friends once in a while, Taehyung mostly preferred working solo. But this?? This was different. This was fucking concerts they were talking about. Real fucking concerts with crowds and everything.
“Gosh I can’t believe you’re actually going to L.A.” Jimin shook his head still in disbelief. He went back to sipping his water and even that was feeling inadequate. He should be getting fucking drunk in celebration. He chuckled to himself. Leave it to Taehyung to be so nonchalant about something like this.
He looked up and found Taehyung staring at him, intently biting his lip as he seemed lost in thought although he shook himself out of it quick enough but Jimin could still see stiffness in his shoulders. He was about to ask about it but then the other boy shrugged and said, “ I’m not going.”
“You’re not-” Jimin’s head reeled in shock, “ you’re not going? What do you mean you’re not going?”
Taehyung sighed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, “ Jimin, it's a tour. It's not just a couple of concerts. It’s gonna go for over four months.” Jimin’s heart dropped. Taehyung emphasized the words like he’d been thinking about this for a long time, “ That’s four entire months. And it’s all the way in the States.”
Jimin shook his head, his heart pounding in his chest “No, come on don't do that.” He knew where this was going and he didn’t like it one bit, “This is a great opportunity, love.” He imbued as much sincerity in the statement as he could, “ I think you should go.”
Taehyung watched him silently, eyes assessing Jimin’s face and the smile Jimin had plastered on his face began to slip off. In truth, Jimin hadn’t known the gig was gonna go for that long. He’d deadass thought it was like a weekend thing or maybe two weekends, them opening in Los Angeles and back. But four months? Four entire Gregorian-ass months without Taehyung. Jimin would rather eat glass.
The ahjussi came and collected their plates, leaving them only with their glasses and another pitcher of water. Jimin tried not to cower under Taehyung’s scrutinizing face but he was only a weak mortal. He looked down at the scratched plastic table and that seemed to seal the deal for the singer.
“I’m not going.” he said with finality.
“But-”
“I told Chaemin I’d think about it..but I’m going to tell him to pass it on to someone else before it’s too late.”
“But why though? It's a great opportunity.” Jimin repeated, even though he fucking knew why, “Long term stuff like this is hard to come by and-” he paused, “ you should go.” Taehyung sighed like he was expecting the statement. This wasn't the first time they’d had such a conversation.
“Jimin-ah,” Taehyung levelled him with a look that made Jimin feel scolded, “I don't know how many times I have to tell you this but I'm not gonna go off and leave Korea for long periods of time when you're on-semester.”
“Why not?” Jimin fired back, wrapping his arms around himself.
“ Because why would I do that when I could stay here with you.”
“But…you're with me all the time.” Jimin lowered his voice, gentler than he was speaking before. He didn’t want to make it sound like he didn’t like it that way but...this was a big opportunity for Tae.
Taehyung shook his head, chuckling,“ As I should because we're married and I love you.” He said, voice careful to stay in the space between them. Jimin's heart did a little somersault. These were words he heard almost everyday but they never ceased to shock him for some reason. He averted his eyes, and stared down at the two rings he had on his ring finger. One was a simple gold wedding band and stacked on top of it was another ring. His engagement ring. This one was a yellow gold band with an oval ruby gemstone in the center. Jimin ran his thumb over it, the cold smoothness of the large gemstone and the roughness of the gold detailing around it soothed him and grounded him.
“These opportunities….” he whispered after a moment of silence, “Taehyung….they could lead to something big for you. I could survive just- just four months.” Jimin insisted even as he inwardly shuddered at the very thought,“ I know you want to go. Don't let me hold you back.”
“On the contrary,” Taehyung shrugged, leaning further back in his chair “it actually sounds like you're pushing me away.”
“I'm not!” Jimin immediately refuted the idea. He shook his head because that was ridiculous and Taehyung knew it,“ I'm not trying to do that, I just…”
He looked down at the empty table, fingers fidgeting with a napkin. This had been an on-going point of contention between the two of them. Jimin knew of three other offers that Taehyung had turned down in the past months simply because they required him to be away from home for long. Jimin really and truly detested being apart from Taehyung but recently… he couldn't help but feel like he was in the way of Taehyung’s career advancing. Just because he was behind in terms of studies didn't mean he wanted the person he loved the most to slow down their own life.
“I just don’t want to be the thing that’s holding you back,” he reiterated. When an opportunity had come for Tae to sing in Japan for a week while Jimin was on holiday Taehyung had accepted it immediately without second thought because Jimin could come along. Ever since he’d graduated, Jimin's studies had become an obstacle in a new way because Taehyung was constantly having to factor him into every career move. At least if Jimin was working he'd be able to ask for time off or just quit. He couldn't just quit the degree his mother was paying for.
Taehyung reached over the empty table and clasped Jimin's fidgeting fingers in his long steady ones. His own wedding band caught against the light, simple and perfect on his left hand.
“ I don't wanna go. You might be able to survive four months alone but I sure as hell won't.” Taehyung spoke in a steady voice, “I have a lot of opportunities right here in Seoul and I'm sure I'll get other trips when you finish school. Frankly if something is meant to be mine, it will come to me at the right moment, don’t you think so?”
His eyes bore into Jimin as he spoke. Jimin regarded him for a while. He felt like he should be insisting more. Encouraging Taehyung to go out and spread his wings. But even the mere thought of not seeing him face to face for such a long time physically hurt Jimin's heart. He didn't want to admit it but he really would have a hard time if the other left, especially when he was now in his final year which was mentally and physically draining. He swallowed the bitter aftertaste of wrongness that lingered in his mouth.
His phone abruptly started ringing, and Jimin quickly fumbled for his back pocket as ASAP by New Jeans blared loudly on the cellular device. “ It’s Jeongukk.” he told Taehyung, as he frowned at the caller ID. He picked up the call, “Hello?” There was some rustling on the other side of the phone and then sniffing.
“Hello?” he called again, “ Jeongukk are you there?”
“He didn’t come, hyung. He..h-he promised he would but he didn’t.” More sniffling. Jimin’s heart dropped.
He covered the speaker with his hand, “He’s crying.” He stage-whispered to Taehyung who immediately looked concerned.
He brought the phone back to his ear, “Jeongukk-”
“I knew he’d do this actually. I d-don’t know why I asked. I literally asked him. I asked him do you wanna like– d’you wanna hang out and go get dinner after my shift? And he said yes and that he’ll be there. He didn’t have to say that if he didn’t want to, right hyung? It’s not…It’s not like it’s b-by force that he has to say yes right? I-Is it so hard to be around me that he has to lie?”
“I’m gonna fucking kill him.” Jimin slumped into his chair shaking his head. He pinched the bridge of his nose, “he didn’t answer your texts or anything?”
“No. The first c-couple were seen and left on read …but the rest he didn’t even open.”
“Okay...Wait, are you still at the club?” He asked, checking the time on his watch. “I should come back and get you a ride home becau-”
“No, it's fine. It's fine. ’m already back at the dorms. I gave up a couple hours after you guys left.”
“Wait. If you’re at the dorm then where is Yoongi?”
“Fuck if I know. Even if he comes in tonight I won’t speak to him…”
“Okay. Okay fine.” Jimin squeezed his eyes shut, “ Why don’t you go to sleep now Kook okay? Yoongi probably got busy or whatever but BUT-” he interrupted Jeongukk’s whine of disagreement, “ I’m not excusing his behaviour just ... .just get some sleep okay?.. And then I’ll come by your place tomorrow so I can- see what’s going on.. okay?”
“Okay.”
"Don’t forget to remove your contacts bro.” Taehyung yelled, leaning over the table towards the phone, “Crying and then sleeping is a hell of a combo to wake up to.”
“Oh..Oh!” Jeongukk startled, on the other side of the phone, “ Taehyung-ssi! Fuck. I forgot about your date night Jimin. I’m sorry.”
“It’s absolutely fine bro.” Taehyung yelled into the phone and consequently in Jimin’s ear, “ And for the love of God, call me hyung.”
“Good night Taehyung-ssi.”
“Aishhh this kid.” Taehyung shook his head.
Jimin laughed, hanging up the phone. “That’s such a Seokjin phrase to say.” He plopped the phone onto the table, “ I’ll...deal with that tomorrow.”
“Yoongi avoiding his feelings like the plague again huh?” Taehyung asked, because yes, Jimin was one of these people that gossiped about his friends to his husband. Sue him. Who else would he rant to about the never ending tug of war between the two roommates. He’d only been friends with Jeongukk for one year, the younger having gotten Yoongi as his roommate randomly at the start of the new academic year. It was a good match at the start because the both of them were in their final year and doing similar courses and they seemed to match each other’s vibes immediately except for when Yoongi decided to be an idiot and be mean to Jeongukk. It was a whole can of worms.
“Anyways,” Taehyung clapped his hands, “ Where were we before all that? Oh yes. I’m not going for that tour thingie-” He flicked his wrist, discarding the idea. Jimin rolled his eyes, mouth curved into a fond smile, “ Even your friends wouldn’t survive without me .”
“What's Jeongukk’s surname?” Jimin challenged catching Taehyung off guard, but then he started listing off a bunch of names that belonged to everyone but Jeongukk.
“Cho? Song…Kang? It’s not Kang?” Jimin said no, “Ki-uh Shin! It’s Shin. It’s Shin, isn't it?” He answered rapidly like he was on a game show. Jimin shook his head slowly like a disappointed high-school teacher.
“Mmm-Let’s just go home, love.”
2. 🥀🥀🥀
When Jimin awoke the next morning, he had a tummy ache that was jarring, irritating and confusing.
“-you sure it's not a hangover??” Taehyung murmured into the darkness of their bedroom. His eyes were still closed so he couldn’t see the frown Jimin was wearing. Jimin hadn’t drunk any alcohol the night before. In fact if he’d known he would wake up feeling terrible either way, he would have just gone for it….give his tummy something to cry about.
It was Saturday. Taehyung didn’t work till later in the day and so Jimin left him snuggled up in bed and went about his morning because he on the other hand had classes everyday of the week except Sunday. He scratched at the nape of his neck in confusion, inhaling sharply when the odd feeling hit him again. Heartburn? It felt like something was lodged into his chest, right below his lungs. His stomach rumbled ominously with the threat of ruining his entire day but since it hadn’t reached a point where it was unignorable, he proceeded with his usual morning routine. He showered, shaved and brushed his teeth but the toothpaste made him gag, and he started dry-heaving.
“Fuck.” he whispered, rinsing the toothpaste out of his mouth. He briefly wondered if he wanted to throw up but that just baffled him more. If I wanted to throw up I’d just do it. I wouldn’t just be standing here wondering . He went and stood over the toilet with the seat up, waiting for something to happen but nothing did and yet frustratingly, the discomfort in his stomach persisted, the feeling of wanting to hurl remained firmly in the middle of his chest….
He skipped breakfast and rode on the bus to the university grounds, rushing for class but the first lecturer didn’t even end up coming which infuriated him to no end. I could have stayed in bed. He grumbled to himself as he passively read through his notes, now in the library. After the first hour of waiting for the next period to start, Jimin gave up altogether. He wasn’t about to sit here for the next hour on a Saturday.
He ventured out of the library and headed for the on-campus student accomodations that were located on the other side of the university’s sprawling grounds. The student dorms had never been an option for Jimin when he was planning for college. Everything about it had been simply unappealing from the rules, the curfews to the astronomical cost. Jimin had always planned to rent a place outside, even before Taehyung came into the picture. In that regard, Yoongi’s decision to live in the dorms had been so confusing to him because, if Jimin found it unappealing then Yoongi would have been downright repulsed, or at least Jimin had assumed he would be..
When he reached the multi-storey building, he didn’t take long to find the door he was looking for on the third floor. He knocked, suddenly realizing that he hadn’t called in advance to know if anybody was in. Great. Hope I didn’t trek all the way for nothing. There was no answer at first and so he knocked again, sighing deeply. His stomach was really aching. He bent forward a little, placing his head on the door as he fished for his phone in his school bag. He was about to press ‘call’ on Jeongukk’s number but then a faint click, the sound of a lock turning came from inside. He stepped aside just as the door swung open.
Min Yoongi was wearing a deeply irritated frown on his face when he swung the door open. His mint colored hair sat haphazardly on his head, sticking out in all directions and his movements were drowsy as he scratched some stray strands out of his eyesight. His feline eyes promised murder but when he saw who it was behind the door, his expression dropped into a scowl.
“It’s 10am, hyung, don’t give me that look.” Jimin’s voice was bright as he breezed past him, ignoring the older boy’s mumbling about how it was basically the middle of the night for him. He kicked off his shoes without much preamble and immediately dove for the tan leather couch in the middle of the room. There was this inner tingling feeling in his gut that was growing into a nauseating ache but at least when he finally lay down on his stomach, it eased up a little. He pulled out his phone, snuggling further into the squeaking leather.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in class right now?” Yoongi asked, standing over him behind the sofa.
“I’m ditching,” Jimin grumbled, “My tummy hurts and these teachers think student’s time is a joke…” He glanced around the room, listening for signs of another life in the apartment, “uhh-where is my child?”
Yoongi shrugged. He turned his back toward Jimin as he walked off to their little kitchen area. He shuffled up to the small counter situated in a corner, “Why would I know?” he asked, turning on the coffee machine, “It’s not like I’m keeping tabs on hi- OUCH!?” He winced.
Jimin flung a pillow at him. He inwardly cheered when it hit the back of hyung’s head before bouncing to the ground. “You defensive asshole. Why didn’t you show up last night, huh?” he raged, throwing a second pillow and at the same time dodging the one Yoongi chucked back at him, “Jeongukkie waited and waited and you didn’t even have the decency to call ?”
“ Look. I got caught up in the studio, okay? I was going to come but when I - stop that!-” Jimin lowered the third pillow, scowling, “ time flew away from me.” Yoongi’s eyes told Jimin that he was being genuine but still, Jimin narrowed his eyes, disbelieving.
“It’s the truth-” Yoongi came back around to the front of the couch. He took a seat on the other side where Jimin’s feet were, “I was working on this song and- I really meant to only stay one extra hour but when I checked my watch suddenly it was crazy late and I-” he closed his eyes, massaging his temples, “-i just didn’t want to see the look on his face when I arrived three hours later than I’d said an-.”
“So you decided not to come at all.” Jimin made a tutting sound. He didn’t understand this hyung’s thought process at times.
Yoongi sighed, slumping into the chair. He leaned against Jimin’s legs but made sure not to completely smoosh them down. “I mean…he didn’t really need me there right?” His voice was gravelly with sleep, “I’m sure he had fun with you guys and his other friends. I would have just ruined his night.”
Other friends. Did Jeongukk tell Yoongi they’d be hanging out with other people? Jimin highly doubted that. Yoongi liked to fill in the blanks in sentences where there were no gaps to begin with.
“Only Tae and I were with him” he clarified, “ And we didn’t stay for long after he performed. Jeongukk told me you guys were getting lamb skewers after. Just the two of you…alone.” Yoongi looked blankly at the carpeted floor like the words weren’t even registering.
Jimin exhaled, “Just…apologize, tell him what happened and uh- make up for it. Take him to the movies or whatever.” He reached out and touched Yoongi’s shoulder, “ Jeongukk likes you, hyung. He likes hanging out with you and he’s not inviting you to things just because you’re his roommate or even out of pity-although your social life is pathetic- but that’s only my humble opinion,” Yoongi scoffed, “you are roommates you should at least maintain a certain level of friendship, right? You can never have enough friends.”
“Yeah…friendship.”
“That's the spirit!” Jimin exclaimed with enough enthusiasm for two.
“Why pay for a therapist when I’ve got a friend like you.” Yoongi shook his head, he threw his head back, fixing his eyes on the ceiling above. A few beats passed and then, “I should probably text him and…yeah.”
“Please do.” Jimin mumbled as he went back to scrolling on his phone. He adjusted his body to get more comfortable and suddenly a sharp pain laced through his chest and his stomach started cramping.
“Sh- fuck. FUCK!” he yelled.
Yoongi immediately jumped off the couch, eyes wide with alarm but Jimin was too busy clawing at his abdomen. He took a few deep breaths... .One, two, three and then just as abruptly as it’d started, the cramping stopped.
“Are- are you okay?” Yoongi asked, hovering over him. Jimin opened his eyes.
“Mmh- Not really…been feeling sick since morning.” he explained, “-think I got a bit of food poisoning from last night.”Yoongi walked past him and grabbed a glass which he filled with water, bringing it back to Jimin. “Thanks hyung.” He took the glass and chugged down the contents.
“If it's still hurting by the evening you should definitely take some medicine.” he advised, hovering near him, “ I don’t think you should take anything before then though, just until you’re sure it’s not just you reacting to the food.” Jimin nodded, taking note of the advice and then he downed the rest of the water.
Jimin spent the rest of his morning in Yoongi and Jeongukk’s dorm, pretending that he was at home, sick when he called one of his classmates and asked him to help register his name in the class.(in his defense he was kind of sick...just not at home) As it neared noon he decided he’d had enough of the outside world and so he said goodbye to Yoongi, reminding him to apologize to Jeongukk whenever the boy eventually decided to show up. He spent the whole bus ride home, wincing and clutching his tummy as the vehicle jolted him around and by the time he was putting the passcode into the keypad of his apartment, he was ready to tap out.
The inside of the apartment was silent when he walked in but the presence of Taehyung’s tan winter coat on their rack told him that the other was still around somewhere. When he walked into their bedroom, he chuckled to himself at the sight of Taehyung still fast asleep, legs tangled up in their blankets and face smooshed into Jimin’s pillow.
Jimin placed his school bag on the floor next to his side of the bed, plopped down onto the springy bed and he ran his fingers through sleeping beauty’s hair. He reveled in the softness of the golden brown strands as he pushed them out of Taehyung’s eyes. “Wake up.” He whispered, tapping his husband’s shoulder, “ Tae, Wake.Up Wakeupwakeupwakeuppp….” Taehyung slowly opened his eyes, mouth curled in a sleepy pout. He looked up at Jimin, still very much asleep.
“Wake u-u-up.” Jimin sang a little louder, poking him in his side. Taehyung dodged the attack, falling back onto his side of the bed where he immediately threw his head onto his own pillow and closed his eyes again.
“Oh no you don’t” Jimin laughed, poking him some more, “Come on, love, it’s time to wake up. Seize the day!...or whatever’s left of it.”
Taehyung reached out with his left hand behind him to block Jimin’s poking finger, “Why are you torturing meeee?” He groaned, his voice muffled by the pillow.
“Do you have any idea what time it is right now?” Jimin used his other hand, poke-poke poking away. “Seokjin-hyung is going to have you for dinner if you show up late.”
“Hyung can go fuck himself…and frankly so can yo-heyy!” Jimin pulled the blankets off of his legs, satisfaction hitting him when Taehyung squawked at the sudden coldness. He watched as Taehyung’s hands wandered around the bed, eyes still closed as he looked for something else to cover himself with. He quickly pulled away the second sheet, making sure there was no other option.
“Quickly, quickly,” said Jimin as he threw the beddings on the ground. Taehyung couldn’t sleep without being covered so he knew he wouldn’t be falling back into it. He stood up and headed back out of the bedroom, “get up and get ready and I’ll make something to eat before you go, sound good?”
He got a thumbs up and a muffled ‘yes’ in reply which was good enough for him so he walked back out and headed for the kitchen, distractedly rubbing at his chest. The refrigerator was the first thing he checked and he hummed in delight when he found a container filled with the spicy chicken that Taehyung made for yesterday’s lunch. Within a short period of time he had whipped up a quick meal around it. I’ll have to go grocery shopping soon …he thought to himself as he cooked the last of their noodles.
“Morningg….” a voice sang from behind him. He turned just in time to find Taehyung wrapping his hands around his midsection in a hug. Jimin grunted as Taehyung squeezed him hard against his back because the gnawing pain felt like it’d been pushed to the front of his chest. It left him kind of winded.
Taehyung looked down at him with raised eyebrows, loosening his hold. “You okay?” He asked. Jimin groaned, throwing his head onto Taehyung’s shoulder.
“I think uncle tried to kill me with his food.” He whined, burrowing his face into the crook of Taehyung’s warm neck.
“Oh no, you have a stomach bug?” Taehyung's deep voice rumbled against Jimin's chest as he started running his hands slowly up and down Jimin's back. Jimin melted under the soothing touch, "Shall I make some tea for you?” Taehyung asked, “something with lemon to reduce the nausea.”
“Yeah,” he yawned. Taehyung squirmed as the breath tickled against his neck. “But not right now, ‘m pretty comfortable here.” Jimin closed his eyes, perfectly fitting himself in the crook of Taehyung’s shoulders. They stayed like that for a while longer, Jimin teetering on the edge of sleep as Taehyung continued to run his hands up and down his back.
A few minutes later, Taehyung slowly detached from him and made his way to the kettle. Jimin sat down at their kitchen table, patting his chest. He cleared his throat, and then coughed as hard as he could, because there was something… he swore it was a literal object causing the itching deep in his throat but there was no way he could scratch the itch away. He tried clearing his throat again but it seemed to be further down.
On the kitchen table, the bouquet of white camellias from yesterday was still sitting in the same spot Taehyung had put it last night. The big glass vase they were supposed to be in was currently occupied by a bouquet of sad looking roses, the formerly red luscious petals now brown and withering.
“These have been in here for two weeks.” Jimin said as he stood up. He picked up the heavy vase and carried it to the sink. “I love you guys,” he told the roses, sniffing at their still fragrant foliage, “but you've been dethroned.”
He took the flowers out of the vase and unceremoniously dumped them into the dustbin under the sink. Then after he had changed out the water in the vase he took it back to the table and placed the new bouquet into it. The white camellias were already looking a bit sad at the edges but that was fine. He leaned forward and inhaled the subtle sweet scent of the flower…. and that is when it happened.
Taehyung set down two cups of tea on the counter next to the bouquet and he looked up to say something but one look at Jimin had his face falling into a frown.
“What? What's wrong?” Taehyung asked, concern marring his face. Jimin was hunched uncomfortably over the table, his hands helplessly clawing at his own throat.
“I-” Jimin choked out, barely breathing, “I- bathroom…bathroom! Gonna-”
Jimin abandoned speaking altogether as he sprinted out of the living room. Something was in his throat, solid and obtrusive and so goddamn itchy. He couldn't breathe. He raced to the bathroom, slamming the door shut after him. He barely made it to the sink before a rough, wracking cough consumed him. As the coughs grew thicker, he felt the obstructive weight in his throat rise higher and higher until he was legitimately choking on something. He squeezed his eyes shut and with one final involuntary lurch he expelled the weight…..
“Jimin? JIMIN, are you okay?” Taehyung's voice came in muffled from the other side of the door. Jimin opened his eyes. He'd blacked out for a second. He looked around the room, involuntary tears clouding his vision and quickly found his footing again. He cleared his throat and for the first time since he woke up, it felt clear and light. Normal. He was about to start wondering what the hell had just happened to make him cough like that but when he looked down at the sink below him…his mind turned to static.
“Mimi??? Baby is everything okay in there?”
Jimin wanted to say yes...that everything was okay and that he was fine. But he couldn't. He couldn't because there, in the middle of the sink sat a lone white camellia, and Jimin's entire world slowly started to crumble before his very eyes.